Bridge manufacturing firms pre-fabricate bridges that are delivered to the site ready for erection. The bridge is built as components, modules and assemblies in a quality controlled shop, shipped to the bridge site, and erected. This results in time savings for design and construction, cost savings, and increased site safety, and the pieces will fit because of the quality shop fabrication. Most of these firm’s bridges are also applicable for Accelerated Bridge Construction.  However, another way to think of them is that they are “A Bridge in a Box,” in that the manufacturer has worked out all the design and details and the owner gets an aesthetically pleasing bridge without having the inconvenience of going through a typical design-bid-build process.  This presentation will showcase several bridge projects from Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance bridge manufacturer members.

Michael G. Barker, Ph.D. – Professor, Civil & Architectural Engineering at University of Wyoming